By Dani García. Restaurant Lamoraga.

Chef Dani Garcia wants to transmit the essence of Andalusia through his dishes on all four sides. The recipe he proposes is a tribute to the Iberian pig that forms a big part of our culture, including “butter color”, typical of the south. According to García, pork jowls can only be compared to the aroma of a great white truffle.

1- Pig’s cheek:

Ingredients:

Iberian Sierra Mayor de Jabugo pig’s cheek with its skin, 50% olive oil, 50% sunflower oil, Black pepper, Juniper berries, Fresh thyme, Fresh rosemary, Sweet paprika, Oregano, 75% salt, 25% sugar, Red lard purée, 1 Kg. boiled potatoes, 400 gr butter, 200 gr. red lard, 200 gr. milk, 100 gr. cream, Salt.

Preparation:

Make a salt-brine with the salt, sugar, paprika and oregano. Wash the pig’s cheeks, and remove the sweetbreads and the excess fat. Shave them on the skin side.

Cover them with the brine and marinade them for 5 or 6 hours.

Then rinse them with clean water and dry them well. Lay them out in a pan and cover them with the oils. Add the aromatic herbs. Cook on a very low flame, so that the oil does not bubble, for 8 to 10 hours (check if they are done by inserting a skewer: if it can be pulled out easily, they are done).

Remove the cheeks from the oil and cool before cutting. The skin can be cooked in a frying pan until it is dry and crushed in the Thermomix to make a powder.

Cut the cheeks into conveneiently sized pieces and brown on all sides in a non-stick frying pan on a high flame. All sides should take on a golden brown colour.

2- Red lard purée.

Ingredients:

1 Kg. boiled potatoes, 400 gr butter, 200 gr. red lard, 200 gr. milk, 100 gr. cream, Salt.

Preparation:

Boil the peeled, cut potatoes in water. Drain well. Boil the milk together with the cream in a pan.

Put the boiled potatoes into the Thermomix and add the boiled milk and cream. Crush them and gradually add the lard and the butter, cut into cubes, blending together the whole mixture. Leave the mixture in the Thermomix until you have a thin puré. Add salt and strain with a fine Chinois strainer.

3- Iberian pig’s ear:

Ingredients:

Pig’s ear, White wine, Black peppercorns, Bay leaves, Water, Sea salt, Guindilla (Spanish chili).

Preparation:

Clean the pig’s ears well and shave them very well. Wash them with water and dry them.

Reduce the white wine to half of its volume in a pressure cooker. Then add the peppers, the bay leaves, the sea salt and the guindillas.

Put the ears in the pressure cooker and cover them with water. Seal the cooker and when full pressure is reached let it cook for 50 minutes.

Remove the pressure cooker from the flame and wait for it to cool before opening it.

Cut the ears into pieces and leave them in the cooking stock so that they do not dry up.

They can be glazed with pork or beef juice.

4- Dish Presentation:

Put the puré in the centre of the plate with the pig’s ear and arrange the dried fruit around them.
Place the pig’s cheeks on top and sprinkle with the powder.

The Chef’s Secret:

Confits should be made very gradually with olive oil at very low temperatures.

More recipes by Dani Garcia. Restaurant Lamoraga.